Web-converting apparatus



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,720

W. H. CAN NARD WEB CONVERTING APPARATUS Filed May 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 20,1928.

w. H. CANNARD WEB CONVERT ING APPARATUS Filed May 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Amman;

M//'///'am Can/10rd,

Nov. 20, 1928.

w. HQ CANNARD WEB CONVERTING APPARATUS Filed May 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet W Gonna/0' Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. CANNARD, OI GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN;

r WEB-CONVERTING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 7, 1926. Serial No 107,474.

This invention relates to web converting apparatus and, in its more specific aspect, in volves mechanism for anda method of creasing, crinkling, embossing and otherwise con verting a web of paper or the like material to render it elastic in one or more directions and to produce a folded product of such material.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a unitary app-aratuscap'able of drawing one or more webs of flat and smooth surfaced (that is, unwrinkled) paper or the like material from a source or sources of su ply, performing successively a plurality of web-converting operations thereupon, and finally delivering complete folded or interfolded and creped, corrugated or embossed paper products.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a unitary apparatus comprising a plurality of Web-converting instrumentalities assembled so as to synchronously operate and to successively perform web-converting operations on a web or webs of paper or the like during the passage of the latter through the apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a web-crinkling, creasing or embossing instrumentality which may be employed either alone or as an attachment for existing forms of web-converting machines and which is capable of drawing a web of material from a supply roll, then in turn spreading, moistening, narrowing, .corrugating and embossing the web, and finally feeding it to the associated converting machine.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a web-embossing apparatus including adjustable means for crinkling and -simul-:

' taneously transversely narrowing a traveling web-prior to an embossing operation to prevent tearing or breaking of the fibers thereof by the'cmbossing instrumentalities.

My inventive-concept also involves a unique method of handling, crinkling and embossing paper or the like, in the practice of which said apparatus may be employed.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel features of \capable of a wide range of modification and variation without departing from the underlying principles or salient features of the invention; and, likewise, that other embodimerits-may be resorted to and yet be within the spirit thereof.

In these drawings:

Figure'l is a dlagrammatic view in side elevation ofan apparatus for converting a plurality of webs of material into complete interfolded products in accordance with my inventive-concept;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of-a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating a portion of an interfolding apparatus, the web-feeding and cutting mechanism and the web-drying rolls;

Figure .3 is an enlarged view in top plan of the web, creping and embossing mechanism;

gigure 4 1s a view in side elevation thereof; an

Figure "5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner in which the dryingrolls are heated. I

My inventive-concept, broadly considered, contemplates the grouping together of a plunamely, web creping and embossing mechanisms A, web drying, feeding and cutting .90 rality of instrumentalities on mechanisms,

mechanism B, and web folding or interfolding mechanism C, in such. manner that they are all driven at correlated speeds from a single source of power and become effective successively upon the web or webs of material as the latter are fed through the apparatus, thereby accomplishing the preparation of a smooth, flat (that is, unwrinkled) web or Webs of paper or the like for the converting machine and the converting of the prepared web or webs into complete folded or interfolded and creped, corrugated or embossed articles by a single continuous operation, in much less time and with much less labor than would be possible with a plurality of separately opera-ting machines. For convenience, the separate instrumentalities will now be. described in the order in which they become effective upon the web or webs of material.

We?) crepz'ng and embossing apparatus.

Referring, now, to the creping and embossing apparatus, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the reference-character 1 designates, generally, a supporting frame upon which are mounted the several instrumentalities of this apparatus 'The frame preferably comprises a pair of similar flanged side members 2 which are spaced apart by one or more (one only being shown) tubes or pipes 3, the opposite ends of which engage the depending flanges 4 of the respective members. As shown, each member 2 is provided at one of its ends with an integral portion 5 extending at right angles thereto to constitute su porting standards or legs for the frame. I the apparatus is to be employed separate from any other apparatus, each member 2 may be provided with the integxral portions or legs 5 at both of its ends.

en, however, as shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of these units are to be employed in conjunction with a web-converting machine or the like, one leg 5 only is needed on each member 2 and may be bolted, as at 6, directly to the frame? of the associated converting mab chine. When, as shown, a mm of these units are supported one above t e other, the free ends of both of the units are supported by legs 7 each made fast to a side member 2 of each of the units. A rod 8, assing through the tube 3 and at opposite pomts through the flanges 4 of the respective members 2, and

nuts 9 mounted on opposite ends thereof and in engagement with integral strengthening bosseslO on the respectlve members, serve to maintaiirthe relative positions of the tube and the frame members fixed and the latter in spaced parallel relation.

' A transverse shaft 11, removably mounted in suitable bearings 12 fast to the respective side members 2 adjacent one end of the frame, serves rotatably to support a supply roll 13 of paper or the like material with its longitudinal axis slightly above the upper surface of the frame. It will he observed that the bearings 12 do 'not overlie the shaft 11, which makes it possible quickly to lift out a shaft bearing 16 is fast within a block 18 slidably mounted on one of the pedestals 17 between the spaced portions 19 of the bifurcated up per end thereof and a threaded bolt-member 20 fast to and extending upwardly from the block 18 passes through a top cross-piece '21 of the pedestal and may be secured in ,adjusted positions by means of nuts 22 and 23 mounted thereon above and below the crosspiece, respectively. The function of this spreader .roll is to insure that a web of ma terial passing from the supply roll through the-machine (as indicated by broken line 24 in Fig, 4) may be fully spread out for effective action thereon by the moistening instrumentalities about to be described.

A pipe 25, closed at one endas at 26, and adapted to have its other end connected in any suitable manner to a source of water supply, is supported by apai'r of L-shaped standards 27 adjacent the spreader roll at a height above the plane of travel of the Web and is provided with a plurality of valved outlet nozzles 28 for app ying any desired quantity of moisture to the web as it travels thereunder. r

Means forcrinkling and simultaneously narrowing the moistened web prior to action thereon by the embossing instrumentalities is provided in order that there may be a sufiicient quantity of material, crosswise thereof, in the web when it is presented to said instrumentalities to insure against tearing of the web or breaking of the fibers of the webthere- Preferably and as shown, this ineans comprises a pair of freely rotatable rolls 29 having their outer surfaces transversely corrugated as at 30 and mounted in diverging relation above the plane of theframe 1 in position to engage the web 24 as it is drawn thereover. Bearing blocks 31 which support the ends of the rolls 29 are provided with integral depending bolts 32, uponeach of which is mounted a air of nuts 33 for locking the blocks'in ad iusted positions with respect to their supports. The blocks 31 which support the inner ends of the rolls 29 are thus secured, in adjacency, to a'central offset portion 34 of a fixed transverse supporting member 35. and

their bolts 32 constitute pivots about which the respective rolls may be moved to vary the angular relation thereof. Thebolts 32 of the blocks 31 which support theouter ends ofthe rolls 29 are positioned in slots 36 provided in arcuate portions 37 of' a substantially C- shaped supporting-member38 fast at its ends to the respective side me'mbers 2 of the frame. This construction makes ,it' possible to lock the rolls 29 in a plurality of different positions both with respect to each other and with respect to the plane of the frame 1 without affecting the easy rotation thereof. As the positions of the rolls affect the action thereof upon the web traveling thereoverjit will be seen that the characteristics of the web produced by the apparatus may be widely varied by the adjusting means provided. 7

While the above-described means for crin- 1 kling and transversely narrowing the web or webs being fed through the apparatus is preferred by reason'of its simplicity and efficiency, it is to be understood that my inventive-concept contemplates the possible substitution of other means in this apparatus for this purpose. For instance, each of my pending applications, Serial No. 704,867, crepe and method of and apparatus for making the same, filed April 7, 1924; Serial No. 15,515, crepe and the like, filed March 14, 1925, and my Patent No. 1,595,991, dated August 17 1926, disclose means for creping and transversely narrowing as well as for corrugating a web of material, which may be readily substituted in this apparatus for the structure shown and described above.

the shafts 40 of which have suitable bearing in standards 41 fast to and upstanding from the respective frame members 2 and between which the web 24 is fed after its passage over the crinkling and narrowing rolls 29, serve to. further narrow the web preparatory to the embossing thereof.

Preferably and as shown, the embossing mechanism comprises a comparatively large smooth-surfaced roll 42 and a smaller cooperating roll 43 having its outer surface embossed with any desired design 44 which is to be impressed upon the web. Shafts 45 of the rolls 42 and 43 are journaled in bearing blocks 46 slidably mountd between spaced arms 47 of pedestals 48 made fast to the respective side-members 2. The roll 43 is disposed above the roll 42 and is forced" down thereupon, not

only by its own weight, but also by the force of coiled springs 49, the opposite ends of the latter bearing, respectively, against the upper bearing blocks 46 and a cross-bar 50 secured to and connecting the spaced arms 47. The effective pressure of the springs 49 may be varied as desired by adjustment of the machinescrews 51.

Roll 42 has mounted on its shaft 45 a gear 52 by which it maybe driven, either by an independent source of power, such as a motor (not shown) or, when the apparatus is to be associated with a converting machine as sho-wntofconstitute a unitary apparatus therewith,-by intervehing gearing or belt 55 from the source of power driving the converting machine. Inthe latter case, the gearing or ratio of the pulley diameters must be such ast cause the rolls 42 and 43 to draw the web.

24 from the supply roll and feed it to the converting machine at the speed required by the latter. Preferably and as shown, coacting gears 53 and 54, fast, respectively, to the shafts 44 of rolls 43 and 42 and varying as to diameter in proportion to the diameters of these rolls, serve to cause the latter to rotate in opposite directions with equal peripheral speed.

The corrugating rolls 39 may or may not be positively driven. Preferably and as shown, however, the shafts 4O carry gears 56 which intermesh to cause rotation ofthe rolls 39 at equal speeds in opposite directions, and the upper shaft 40 also carries a pulley 57 by means of which it is driven by belt 58 from a pulley 59 fast to the shaft 44 of roll 43.

The web will contain a certain amount of moisture therein when it is fed from the. embossing rolls, and in order to take-this moisture out and leave the web in a suitably dry state to be packed or, in this instance, to be fed to the cutting and interfolding mechanisms, each of the webs is caused to pass about a heated roll 60 which is associated with the feeding and cutting mechanism about to be p. described. A pair of 1uxtaposed corrugating-rolls 39,

W eb drying, feeding and cutting mechanism.

The web feeding and cutting mechanism herein disclosed is identical in certain respects with that shown, described and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 98,786, web cutting and feeding mechanism, filed March 31; 1926; and inasmuch as this mechanism constitutes the subject-matter of the above-mentioned application, in which. it is fully shown and described, it will not be described herein in detail except as is required to disclose its association and manner of coaction with the other instrumentalities in the continuous handling of the web.

As shown, a pair of frame members 61, made fast as at 62 to opposite portions 63 of the frame 7 of the converting machine 0, serve to support all of the cutting and feeding instrumentalities of. a pair of units 64 chine, each roll willjrotate in a direction opposite to that of the adjacent roll and at a peripheral speed equal to that of rolls 65 and 66. Roll 68 of each unit carries a longitudinally arranged and radially extending cutter bar 71 which coacts periodically with the knives of the juxtaposed spirally and longiinterfolding machines-as,

tudinall milled cutter roll 72 adjustably mounte between the frame members 61 in alinement with and adjacent to the roll 68. One of the cutter rolls 72 is driven at a comparatively high speed directly from the main power shaft 73 of the converting machine by means of a belt 74 passing over a pulley 75 fast to its shaft, and the cutter roll of the other unit is driven by cross belt 76 passing over pulleys (not shown) on the respective shafts of the two cutters 72. The intergeared rolls or carrier-drums and 66 are driven from the main drive 73 by means of a belt or sprocket chain 77 passing over a pulley or sprocket 7 8' fixed with respect to the carrierdrum 65. Fluid-pressure means (not here shown) are preferably provided in connection with rolls 67 and 68 whereby sheets, severed or partially severed from'the webs 24 by the coaction of the cutter bars 71 and the cutter rolls 72, ma be positively fed about these rolls and to t e folding drums.

Preferably, one of the drier rolls 60 is mounted in alinement with and in coacting relation to the roll 69 of each unit 64, has suitable bearing, as at 79, in the frames 61,

and may be driven from the adjacent roll 69 at equal peripheral speed therewith by means of suitable gearing (not shown); The rolls 60 are hollow and steam may be admitted to the interior thereof through an inlet pipe 80, the condensation being removed by means of a smaller pipe 81. As best shown in Fig. 5, these pipes are supported within the roll by a stationary cap 82 which is maintained against the end of the roll by a clamping member 83 fixed when in operative position to the cap and engaging flanges 84 and 85 on the ca and roll, respectively, a packing ring 86 being disposed between the cap and roll to prevent leakage of steam from the interior of the latter.

We?) folding or imterfolding mechanism.

The interfolding mechanism disclosed in the accompanying drawings is identical with that shown, described and claimed in the .87 actuated by cam means (not shown) upon rotation of the drums to co'act, those on one drum coacting with those on the other, to interfold sheets cut from one web 24 by the cutting mechanism with sheets cut from the other web 24 and conveyor mechanism 88 upon which the interfolded sheets are deposited and conveyed away from,- the machine. Obviously, other types of folding or for instance, those shown in Patents Nos. 1,561,967 and Operation.

In order that the modus operandi of the apparatus may be more clearly understood, I will now trace the travel of a web of material through the apparatus: Starting from the supply roll 13 (the upper one as shown in Fig. 1) ,the web 24 passes over the spreader roll 15, which roll insures that the web is fully spread out for action thereon by the moistening devices 28, which dampen the Web as it passes thereunder. The moist web is then drawn over the web crinkling and narrowing rolls 29 and between the corrugating rolls 39, the action of these rolls 29 and 39 on the web providing a suflicient quantity of material crosswise thereof to prevent breaking of the fibers as the web is drawn between rolls 42 and 43 and embossed thereby. From the embossing rolls, the web 24 passes about a pair of guide rolls 89 which serve only to change the direction of travel of the web and are, in this instance, operatively mounted on a suitable bracket 90 upstanding from the frame 63. The web which,

at this stage, is still somewhat damp then passes about the heated drying roll 60, by which it is dried sufliciently forsubsequent operations thereon. web is caused to travel under the felt or rubber covered feed roll 69 and overthe cuttercarrying roll 68, being severed or partlally severed, as the case may be, by the coaction of the cutter 71 and cutter roll 72 into sheets. By reason of the above-mentioned sheet-guiding means associated with the rolls 67 and 68, the sheets, even though completely severed, pass as though unsevered around and From the roll 60, the

under the feed roll 67 to the carrier-drum 66 and are carried thereby intoaction thereon by the sheet interfolding elements 87 on the respective carrier-drums. The other web 24 travels in a like manner from the lower supply roll, is acted upon by a similar webcreping and embossing mechanism A (th1s mechanism is not shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing as it is a duplication of that shown above and is driven in a. similar manner) and a web drying, feeding and cutting mechanism B, and the sheets severed or partially severed therefrom are fed, with those out from the other web, between the carrier-' drums 65 and 66, and the sheets of the two webs are interfolded by the folding instrumentalities 87 and thus fed to the conveyor From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a unitary apparatus whereby one or more webs of paper or the like material, in its normal smooth, unwrinkled condition, may be crinkled, corrugated,

embossed, or otherwise prepared for a convertin g operation and the prepared webs may be converted into complete crinkled, corru-- gated or embossed and folded or interfolded articles by a single continuous operation at less cost, in less time, and with less labor than would be possible by a series of separate operations performed by separate machines. It is to be understood, however, that a plurality of webs may be fed as one web through and be acted upon by any of the herein-described instrumentalities, and that the app-aratus may, if desired, include only one of the mechanisms A and B and be used with the interfolding machine shown or any known form of web-foldin mechanism for a folding (instead of an inter-folding) operation.

What I claim is:

1. The herein-described method of producing folded crepe products from a traveling web of material which includes the steps of spreading the web, moistening the spiread v web, subjectin the moist web to pressure against one 0 its surfaces to transversely narrow it, subjecting the web to pressure upon both surfaces to corrugate and further narrow it, subjecting portions of the web to faces to corrugate and further. narrow it,

. subjecting portions of the web to unequal pressure to emboss it, drying the moist web, severing the web into sheets, and folding the individual sheets.

3. The herein-described method of producing folded crepe products from a traveling web of material in a single continuous operation which includes the successive steps of spreading the web, moistening the spread Web, subjecting the moist webto pressure against one of its surfaces .to' transversely narrow it, subjecting the web to pressure upon both surfaces to corrugate and further narrow it, subjecting portions of the web to unequal pressure to emboss it, drying the moist web, severing the web into sheets, and folding the individual sheets.

4. The herein-described .method of pro ducing interfolded crepe products from a plurality of traveling webs of material which includes the steps of spreading the webs, moistening the spread webs, su ectmg the moist webs to pressure upon a single surface to transversely narrow them, subjecting'portions of the webs to unequal pressure to emboss them, drying the moist webs, severing may be fed through the apparatus into sucthe webs into sheets, and interfolding the sheets of the respective webs.

5. The herein-described method of producing interfolded crepe products from a plurality of traveling webs of material in a single continuous operation which includes the steps of spreading the webs, moistening the spread webs, subjecting the moist webs to pressure upon a single surface to transversely narrow them, subjecting portions of the webs to unequal pressure to emboss them, drying the moist webs, severing the webs into sheets, am]: interfolding the sheets of the respective we s.

6. The herein-described method of producing interfolded crepe products from a plurality of traveling Webs of material in a single continuous operation which includes the successive stepsof spreading the webs, mois toning the spread webs, subjecting the moist webs to pressure upon a single surface to transversely narrow them, subjecting portions of the Webs to unequal pressure to emboss them, drying the moist webs, severing the webs into sheets, and interfolding the sheets of the respective webs.

7. The herein-described method of producing folded crepeproducts from a traveling web of material which includes the steps of subjecting the web to pressure to crinkle and emboss it, severing the web into sheets, and folding the sheets to form the complete product.

8. The herein-described method of producing folded crepe products from a traveling web of material ima single continuous operation which includes the steps of subjecting the web to pressure to crinkle and emboss it, severing the web into sheets, and folding the sheets to form the complete product.

9. The herein-described'method of producing interfolded crepe products from-a plurality of webs of material which includes the ste s of moistening the webs, subjecting the we s to pressure to crinkle them, drying the webs, severing the webs into sheets, feeding the cut sheets to an interfolding instrumentality, and interfolding the sheets of the respective webs.

10. The herein-described method of producing interfolded crepe productsfrom a plurality of webs of material in a single continuous operation which includes the successive steps of moistening the webs, subjecting the webs to pressure to crinkle them, drying the webs, severing the webs into sheets, feeding the cut sheets to an interfolding 1nstruinentality, and interfolding the sheets of the respective webs.

. 11. An apparatus of the character described comprising a web-creping and embossing instrumentality, a web feeding and cutting instrumentality, a sheet-foldinginstrumentality,'and means whereby a web of material cessive action thereon by said instrumentalities to produce folded crepe products.

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising a web-creping instrumen- 5 tality a web feeding and cutting instrumentality, a sheet-interfolding instrumentality,

and means whereby a plurality of webs of material fed to the apparatus will be moved into successive action thereon by said instrumentalities to produce interfolded crepe 10 products.

In testimony whereoi I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM CANNARD. 

